MANILA – Congress on Monday proclaimed Rodrigo Duterte as the new president of the Philippines and Leni Robredo as vice president following their victory in the May 9 elections.
The 71-year old Duterte did not attend the proclamation and instead met with supporters and allies in Davao City where he served as its long time mayor.
The former lawyer and prosecutor said he would hold office in Davao and would start working at 1 p.m. until 12 midnight.
The two officials will officially hold office on June 30.
In southern Philippines, Mujiv Hataman, the governor of the Muslim autonomous region, who campaigned for Duterte’s closest rival Mar Roxas and his running mate Robredo, congratulated the duo.
“Today, we turn another page in our history as we welcome those who will be at the forefront in leading our country for the next six years. We would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to our President-elect, Rodrigo Duterte, and our Vice President-Elect, Leni Robredo. Both of them have proven their mettle in empowering the oppressed and marginalized sectors of society, and both of them have made it a priority to empower the people in their years of public service,” Hataman, a member of the Liberal Party, said.
He said Duterte and Robredo have won the trust of the Bangsamoro people and with a solid track record as local officials, both of them represent an administration that will find its strength in participatory governance and empowered local government units.
Hataman said: “Their win, therefore, bears greater significance when placed beside our collective effort towards a national government where regions like the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) can expect their peoples’ voices to be heard and where the concerns of those in the regions are part and parcel of the national agenda.”
“Here in the ARMM, we have done much in more than seventeen years of working together towards peace, and the next six years bring much promise. Upon taking the helm of the national government, we hope that the commitment of both our president-elect and vice president-elect have expressed during the campaign with regard to the peace process will bear fruit. May their leadership translate to further acknowledging the historical injustices committed against the people of Mindanao, to empowering those whose histories are yet to find a place in the national narrative, and to recognizing the rights of the people, including the right to self-determination,” he added.
Hataman, who was also re-elected, said: “We share in their victory, and we find hope in the leadership that President-elect Duterte and Vice President-elect Robredo will bring to the table. Together, we look forward to bringing this country closer to a future where lasting peace and genuine justice for all is not just an aspiration but a way of life.” (Mindanao Examiner)
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